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Professor Jane Halliday

Professor Jane Halliday is an epidemiologist with a PhD in the field of human genetics and has worked at Murdoch Childrens Research Institute for 30 years, beginning as a part-time Research Associate when it was called the Murdoch Institute for Research into Birth Defects. In 1992 she was awarded a National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC), Public Health Research and Development Committee Scholarship to undertake a PhD. On completion of this in 1994 she held two half-time positions from 1995 to 2001: Senior Epidemiologist, Murdoch Institute and Manager and Epidemiologist in charge, Victorian Perinatal Data Collection Unit and Birth Defects Register, Victorian Department of Human Services.

In 2001 Jane was appointed an Honorary Fellow of the Victorian Clinical Genetic Service and from 2002 to 2009 became the Consultant Epidemiologist to the Victorian Birth Defects Register. In this period Professor Halliday continued to receive NHMRC personal support through a Population Health Career Development Award (2002 to 2006) and a Senior Research Fellowship Level A (2007 to 2011). She was President of the Australasian Epidemiology Association from 2005 to 2008. In 2008, Jane was given a Community Acknowledgement Award from the Spina Bifida Foundation Victoria, and a Certificate of Appreciation, in recognition of her “invaluable contribution to Health Pregnancies, Healthy Babies for Koori Communities Project". She was on the NHMRC Principal Committee: Human Genetics Advisory Committee from 2006 to 2012, made an Honorary Professor, Department of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne and in 2012 was awarded an NHMRC Senior Research Fellowship Level B.

Awards:

2007: Fellowship of the Public Health Association of Australia (FPHAA)

2010: Orator for the Human Genetics Society of Australasia- presented with Certificate for 'Outstanding Contribution to Human Genetics in Australia'

Research:

Professor Halliday's current research focuses on uptake of new genetic technologies, particularly those related to prenatal diagnosis and population screening for birth defects. She also investigates perinatal, child and young adult health outcomes following exposures in pregnancy.

Specifically, Professor Halliday's research aims to provide evidence that may assist consumers and their health professionals to be aware of and reduce the possible risks to unborn children of such exposures. Pregnancy exposures of interest include those associated with assisted reproductive technologies (ART) and, more recently, teratogens such as alcohol. Professor Halliday is currently leading a four-year study entitled AQUA (Asking Questions about Alcohol in pregnancy), an NHMRC-funded research project. It is a longitudinal cohort study designed to collect detailed information about alcohol consumption by pregnant women using a questionnaire, following up children to two years of age. She is also leading the GaP study which is examining how much genomic information pregnant women and their partners want about their unborn baby. She recently led a publication of a world-first study of health and wellbeing outcomes for young adults, 18 years and older, who were conceived using ART.